At the Committee's hearing on 2 April the Chairman asked me (Q 18) whether the Treasury alerted departments after the Allcock case. I agreed to check.

2. The Treasury's fraud report for 1997-98, circulated to departments in December 1998, contained a four page description of the main features of the Allcock case, drawing on the NAO's report in August of that year. In addition, the fraud report for 1999-2000, circulated in February of this year, contained in an appendix a one page note which, although not identified as the Allcock case, was in fact a brief summary of it, drawing on the PAC's report of April 1999.